Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	child_n	spirit_n	witness_v	1,106	5	9.8469	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15144	The vvay to the celestiall paradise Declaring how a sinner may be saued, and come to life euerlasting. Contained in three bookes.The first second third sheweth that a sinner may be saued, & come to life euerlasting. By faith, apprehending Christ for his iustification, & applying to himselfe the promises of the Gospell made in Iesus Christ. Repentance, hauing his sins washed away in the bloud of the lambe Iesus Christ. Prayer, calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ. By Robert Whittell, minister of the Gospell.	Whittle, Robert, d. 1638.	1620 (1620)	STC 25441; ESTC S120396	338,769	458

children of God because their faith shall not vtterly faile cannot finally fall away this yeildeth exceeding great consolation to the children of God The faith of a Christian is not strong at all times but sometimes it may be very weake and scarcely felt as after the committing of some great sinne or in time of sore temptation● when as with Dauid a man may be in great heauinesse his soule may be g Psal 42. 11. cast downe yet notwithstanding faith is neuer so quenched in the true beleeuer but some sparke remaines yea a seede remaines that immortall incorruptible seed that in time will quicken and reuiue Like as a sicke man that is brought very low with sicknes his stomacke failes him he loaths his meat the Phisitian forsaks him all men hold him not a man for this world notwithstanding while breath is in his body there is hope many times such a one reuiues recouers and comes to his strength againe so a Christian sore wounded with sinne and in grieuous temptations giues few comfortable words but sends forth sighes and ●obs and many times doe proceed from him desperate speeches so that they that see and heare him might feare least all faith were gone yet afterwards in time the sparke of faith is kindled and flameth the immortall seed is quickned and the Spirit puts new life of grace into the distressed soule making the sinner to beleeue in Christ to hope in Gods mercy to trust in God to call vpon God and cry Abba Father To conclude a Christian who vpon good ground is assured that hee hath true iustifying faith may confidently say with St Paul h Rom. 8. 38. 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. CHAP. XVII Of the signes and markes of true iustifying faith and first of the inward signes thereof THe tenth and last point in the Treatise of faith 10 Signes of true faith is touching the signes and marks of true iustifying faith How a man may know whether he hath the true faith The signes and markes of faith are two-fold Two-fold The first are inward The second outward There are inward signes of faith whereby a man may know and find in himselfe that he hath faith and there are also outward signes whereby not onely he himselfe may be assured but others also may vnderstand and perceiue that he hath faith First of the inward signes The inward signes of true iustifying faith are diuerse 1 Inward signes as The first is the witnesse of the Spirit euen the Spirit of God Of which St Iohn sayth a 1. Job 5. 10. he that beleeueth on 1 The witnesse of the Spirit the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe Now the Spirit of God is a true and infallible witnesse a witnesse that cannot deceiue the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Some may here demand How may I be assured that Quest it is the good Spirit of God which certifies me that I am the child of God and haue faith or that it is not a fancie or bare coniecture of mine owne or that it is not some delusion How shall I be able to discerne betweene Answ these I answere the Spirit of God the true witnesse doth certifie our spirit and assure our conscience that we haue indeed true iustifying faith that we are the adopted sonnes of God and shall certainly be saued specially by these two things First the Spirit of God perswades our conscience inwardly that we haue faith vpon good ground and sound reason taken not from our owne works or worthinesse but from the goodnesse and bountifulnesse of God towards vs from the mercie of God and grace in Christ and so neither the flesh nor the Deuill doth perswade Secondly the Spirit of God perswades vs of the certaintie of faith by the effects which it worketh in vs. As namely the purifying of the heart purging out sinne so that no sinne hath rule and dominion in the heart likewise stirring vp in our hearts a loue of God a hatred of sinne an earnest desire to pray vnto God and an endeuour to please God also an inward spirituall ioy and peace of conscience c. All which are true effects and manifest fruits of the Spirit and cannot come eyther from the flesh or the Deuill and therefore the testimony of the Spirit is a true and sure witnesse to assure vs that we haue the true faith and he that beleeueth on the son of God hath this witnesse in himselfe The second is an inward feeling of spirituall grace 2 A feeling of grace a feeling of faith in a mans selfe When a man is perswaded of the truth of the Gospell and all the promises contained therein and in particular is perswaded for himselfe that his sinnes of the mercie of God and through the merites of Christ are pardoned and he receiued into fauour with God the inward feeling and perceiuing of this in the b Menti nosirae fides nostra conspicua est heart is a signe of faith This was in Dauid after that he had confessed his sinnes vnto God as he witnesseth saying c Psal 32. 5. I acknowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquitie haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne The third is a godly desire and a holy resolued purpose to walke in obedience to Gods commandements 3 A godly desire and purpose to obey Gods commandements to please God and to doe his will This was also in David for he saith d Psal 119. 6. 4 I haue respect vnto all thy Commandements The fourth is deuout prayer calling vpon the name of the Lord with confidence that God will heare our prayers and grant our requests For faith if it be in the 4 Deuout prayer heart indeed will set the heart a-working to thinke on God to pray vnto God and to call vpon his name For this cause the Spirit of God is called the spirit of grace and supplications the Lord by the Prophet Zacharie sayth e Zach. 12. 10. I will poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications And it is called the spirit of grace and supplications because it is of the gracious working of Gods holy spirit that sinners are brought to repentāce of their sins that they mourne sorrow for their sins and that they seeke vnto the Lord and call vnto him for grace and mercy This is the same Spirit which f Rom. 8 26. helpeth our infirmities as S. Paul speakes For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit

it selfe maketh intercession for vs with gronings which cannot bee vttered This is also that which S. Paul hath to the Galatians g Cal. 4. 6. And because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father By all which it is manifest that it is a sure and certaine signe of true faith if the Spirit of God worke this grace in vs to stirre vp our hearts by deuout prayer and supplication to seeke vnto God to runne vnto our Heauenly Father and to cry Abba Father A childe in time of sicknesse paine and griefe or being in any perill and danger whither doth he run or to whom doth he cry but to his father he hopes his father will helpe him and therefore calls and cryes to his father complaines and makes his mone to his father Like as the Shunamites sonne when he was sore grieued with a paine in his head came to his father and sayd h Luk. 4. 19. My head my head So the sonnes and children of God in time of their heauinesse of soule when they are sicke with sinne diseased in soule and troubled in conscience with the burthen of their sinnes or whether they bee in any outward affliction or trouble whither doe they run but to their Heauenly Father and as the Shunamites childe sayd to his father My head my head so they euery one cry My soule my soule My conscience my conscience my soule is in heauinesse my conscience is sore troubled and burdened with the heauy waight of my sinnes And then in hope of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ they humbly confesse their sinnes they hide not their iniquities they earnestly craue mercy and sue for the pardon of their sinnes aboue all things they seeke ease to their afflicted soule and comfort to their distressed conscience building vpon those gracious word of our Sauiour i Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will giue you rest And thus to call vpon the name of the Lord is a signe of saith The fist is an inward conflict betweene the Flesh and 5 Conflict between the flesh and the spirit Two-fold the Spirit and that is two-fold The one is a striuing against sinne The other a striuing against doubtings Touching the first no man in this life is perfectly 1 A struing against sinne sanctified but hath neede to pray more and more for the Spirit of sanctification that he may bee wholly sanctified Hence it is that though a naturall and vnregenerate man bee wholly carnall yet a regenerate man is not all spirituall but partly carnall and partly spirituall For although a Christian regenerate and sanctified hath his heart purified by faith yet naturall corruption is not altogether purged out of the heart that remaines in vs k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to exercise vs. This in the children of God now regenerate and sanctified is called flesh and the sanctified part in them is called spirit And in the regenerate there is a great combat a spirituall fight and great striuing betweene these two the flesh and the spirit which shall get the victory The manner of which combat and inward fight S. Paul describes thus l Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would A Christian regenerate and sanctified is in the way to Heauen and the spirit that is the sanctified part drawes him on to God-ward and hastens him forward towards the Kingdome of Heauen but the flesh that is the corruption of nature rebels and labours to draw him backwards to the world and would if it were possible draw him downe to hell Hence it is that a Christian findes in himselfe pride of heart lust of the flesh filthy desires vncleane thoughts couetous desires anger hatred enuy malice grudgings and desire of reuenge c. haling and pulling him one way and against these he feeles humility temperance loue patience meeknesse and other graces drawing him another way Now if a man doe finde grace striuing against corruption good motions of the good Spirit fighting against bad motions of the euill Spirit and if a man doe indeede and in truth finde that he doth earnestly striue against sinne that he labours to mortifie his affections to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts to subdue sinne and wickednesse this is a signe of grace and a sure marke that faith is in the heart at least in some measure According to that saying of the Apostle m Vers 24. They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts As n Gen. 25. 22 23. Rebecca knew her selfe to bee quicke with childe by the struggling and striuing of the twins in her wombe so a Christian may know whether he be quickned by grace and liue by faith in the Sonne of God by the inward conflict and striuing betweene the Flesh and the Spirit The second kinde of inward conflict betweene the 2 A striuing against doubtings flesh and the spirit is an inward striuing against doubtings and distrusts in Gods mercy It is the Deuils policy either to cause men whiles they remaine in their naturall state without true faith and repentance to presume on Gods mercy or else hauing faith and repentance to set before them their sinnes and to suggest into their hearts doubtings of the remission of their sins doubtings concerning their faith and repentance and doubtings concerning their vocation and sanctification And thereby would if it were poss●ble extinguish their faith and bring them to despaire of Gods mercy But against all these difficulties true iustifying faith if it be in the heart will shew it selfe though perhaps in these temptations but weakely yet truely to striue against temptations and to fight against all these doubtings It is true I confesse the children of God may be troubled with doubtings but not ouercome of doubtings Dauid is driuen to this expostulation o Psal 77. 7 8. Will the Lord cast off for euer And will he be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Heere are great doubtings in Dauid a seruant of the Lord but he ouercame his doubtings for neither Dauid nor any of the children of God continue still in their doubtings They are neuer with Cain and Iudas brought to such desperate doubtings a● vtterly and finally to despaire of the mercy of God They may for a time haue distrustfull thoughts and doubtfull speeches but faith in the end gets the vpper hand Windes and flouds may beat vpon the house grounded vpon the rocke aswell as vpon the house built vpon the sand but cannot make it fall And many p Dubitationes fidem in nobis oppugnant non tamen expugnant Polan distrustfull doubtings may beat against the faith of a Christian but cannot beat it downe they may fight against

m Luk. 18. 11. I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publicane Secondly except we search out our owne sinnes and 2 To cause vs to seeke vnto the Lord for grace and mercie come truely to know our owne selues we cannot bee brought to seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie for a man that knoweth not his wants seeketh not for helpe and redresse of his wants Secondly the consideration of the knowledge of sin and that in particular manner as hath beene formerly Vse 2 shewed serues to reproue those who are so farre from Against those who haue no sence or feeling of sinne searching their hearts to finde out and know their sins that they haue little or no sence and feeling of their sins Though they know and confesse themselues in a generall manner to be sinners as others are yet they doe not come to a particular knowledge of their sinnes to know the greatnesse of their sinnes the multitude and foulenesse of their sinnes and to know the danger that their soules are in by reason of their sinnes Though they be sinners yet their sinnes neuer trouble them their sinnes are no burden vnto them they lie vnder the heauie waight and burden of sinne and yet feele no paine The reason is because they are yet in ignorance and blindnesse they are not inlightned with the knowledge of the truth to know God and to know themselues the eyes of their minde are not inlightned truly to see and know their particular sinnes but n ●phe 4 18. 19 hauing as the Apostle saith the vnderstanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse These haue benummed and dead consciences yea these haue as the Apostle also saith o 1 Tim. 4. 2. their conscience seared with a hote iron This is a very dangerous state when a sinner is so farre from the knowledge of his sinnes as that he hath no feeling of his sinnes no remorse nor true touch of conscience for all the euill that he hath done But to the end that a sinner may truly repent him of his sinnes and be saued its necessarie that he haue as much as possibly he can a particular knowledge of his sinnes to know which they are and what manner of ones they are how great how grieuous how haynous and how dangerous they be And that he haue also a feeling of the heauie waight and burden of sinne For a● a man carrying a heauie and waighty burden too heauie for him to beare is not like to be eased of his burden till he complaine of the waight and call for helpe and then some friend or neighbour easeth his shoulder so a sinner that is heauie laden with the burden of sinne is like to find no ease till he haue a feeling of the heauy waight and burden of sinne lying heauie vpon his soule For Christ calleth onely such sinners to come vnto him p Mat. 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will giue you rest And as a sick-man sore diseased is not like to find ease till hauing a feeling of his paine hee complaine of his griefe and lets the Physician know where his paine lies so a sinner that is sicke by reason of sinne and hath a diseased soule except he haue a feeling of his spirituall infirmitie how can he be healed q Mat. 9. 12. They that be whole neede not a Physician saith our Sauiour but they that are sicke Christ is the true and best Physician of the soule euery sinner is a sicke man sicke in soule and hath need of Christ's Physicke to cure and heale him Now if any one thinke himselfe sound and whole enough in soule and feele no sinne trouble him and therefore make no hast to goe and seeke to Christ Iesus the good Physician how can that mans soule be healed That man who in the iudgement of the learned Physician is sore sicke and diseased and yet feeles little or no paine is most dangerously sicke so that sinner who hath a sinfull soule sore diseased with sinne and yet hath little or no feeling of sinne no true knowledge of his sins is in greatest danger of his soule When the Israelites felt themselues stung with r N●m 21. 6. 7. 8. 9. fierie serpents in the Wildernesse their remedie was to looke vp to the serpent of brasse and if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brasse he liued This brasen serpent was a type and figure of Christ who was lift vp for our Redemption Of which our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith ſ Ioh. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift vp the brasen serpent in the wildernesse euen so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life But as those Israelites onely had benefit by the brasen serpent which felt themselues stung and then looked vp to the brasen serpent so they onely haue benefit by Christ who hauing a feeling of sinne feeling their soules inwardly slung with the fierie darts of the old serpent the Deuil doe runne and flie apace to Christ Iesus for helpe by the eye of faith looking vp vnto Iesus that so their wounded soules may be healed CHAP. V. Of godly sorrow and first of Contrition or inwar● sorrow for sinne AFter the knowledge of sinne followeth godly 2 Godly sorrow sorrow for sinne This is the second step and degree in the repentance of a sinner * 2 Cor. 7. 10. God●y sorrow saith S. Paul worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of Heere S. Paul makes godly sorrow a thing necessarily required to repentance without which a sinner cannot be saued That sorrow which Sorrow for sin Two-fold worketh repentance the Apostle calls Godly sorrow for there are two sorts of sorrow for sinne The one a Buca de poenitent Legall The other Euangelicall The Legall sorrow for sinne is that sorrow which ariseth 1 Legall from the Law of God and the terrour of a mans owne conscience whereby a sinner is sorry and grieued for the euill which he hath committed onely in regard of the wrath of God and the punishment which he sees to bee deseruedly due vnto him and hanging ouer his head This is that sorrow which the Apostle calls b 2 Cor. 7. 10. the sorrow of the world or worldly sorrow which worketh death Godly sorrow worketh repentance but worldly sorrow worketh death for a sinner being detected and his wickednesse found out the Law of God hauing laid open his sinne and wounded his conscience he stands as one terrified with the remembrance of his deserued punishment now his conscience witnesseth against him that he hath done wickedly that hee deserues punishment and

two sorts 2 The sorts and kinds of it Two-fold Generall and Particular Generall when a Sinner doth onely in a generall manner confesse that he is a sinner that hee hath offended 1 Generall God that he hath broken Gods commandements and done wickedly c. Particular confession of sinne is an acknowledgement 2 Particular of our particular sinnes when hauing made diligent search by the law of God to finde out our sinnes we doe then confesse those sinnes which our owne conscience witnesseth against vs that we are guilty of as Dauid when hee had committed adultery with Bathsheba confessed his sinne in particular saying d Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight The Iewes confessed their sinnes both in generall and particular In generall e Isa 59 12. Our transgressions say they are multiplyed before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities wee know them And in particular they confesse and say f Vers 13. in transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God speaking oppression and reuolt conceiuing and vttering from the heart words of falshood The third thing in Confession is the manner how a 3 The manner of making Confession aright sinner is to make confession of his sinnes that his confession may be acceptable to God Dauid saith g Psal 32. I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord. The vulgar Latine translation readeth it thus g Psal 32. I said I will confesse against my selfe mine vnrightousnesse vnto the Lord. From whence sixe things are obserued to bee necessary in the confession of sinne First that our Confession of sinne be done with premeditation 5 h Dixi confitebor aduersum me iniustitiam meam Domino Six things are necessary in the Confession of Sinne. that we doe not rashly and rudely thrust our selues into the presence of the Lord but first search our hearts try our wayes finde out our sinnes take notice of them view them consider them and haue them before our eyes when wee come to make confession of them This is noted in the beginning of the sentence i Dixi. I said before I confessed my sinnes I first thought with 1 That it be with premeditation my selfe I considered in my minde the sinnes which I was to confesse I said within my selfe I will confesse my sinnes Secondly Confession of sinne must be in truth without 2 That it be in 〈◊〉 guile not hiding sinne but plainely and truely confessing our sinnes wherfore he saith k Confit●bor I will confesse I will make knowne my sinne I will hide nothing I will search euery corner of my heart I will lay open all and euery sinne I will confesse my sinne Thirdly our Confession must be accusing not excusing 3 That it be accusing not excusing noted in the next words l Aduersum me against my selfe Our confession must be against our selues Howsoeuer it be dangerous for any one to accuse himselfe before men yet euery sinner must accuse himselfe before God iudge himselfe to haue broken the commandements of God and condemne himselfe to be worthy of death For this cause a sinner must come before the Lord in all humility and lowlinesse of mind with shame and confusion of face being ashamed to lift vp his eyes to heauen for the multitude of his sinnes and transgressions saying with Ezra m Ezra 96. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased ouer our heads and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauens And must be like the penitent Publican who comming before the Lord to confesse his sinnes n Luk 18. 13. Stood a farre off and would not lift vp so much as his eyes to heauen but smote vpon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Fourthly Confession must be made of sinne and iniquity 4 Confession must be of Sinne and iniquity noted in the word o Iniustitiam vnrighteousnesse or transgresgressions Wee must not with the Pharisee boast our good deeeds and praise our well-doing but with the Publicane confesse our sinnes and our selues sinners and earnestly pray for the pardon of our sinnes Fiftly Confession must be made of our owne sinnes 5 That we confesse our owne sinnes wherefore he saith I will confesse against my selfe p Meam mine vnrighteousnesse or my transgressions S●xtly Confession of our sinnes must be made vnto the Lord our God wherefore he saith I will confesse my 6 That our confessiō be made vnt● God transgressions q Domino vnto the Lord. Confession must be made vnto God to the honour of God that God may haue the glory and we the comfort Of this Dauid speakes thus in another place r Psal 51 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned So also when he had numbred the people his heart smote him and Dauid said vnto the Lord ſ 2 Sam. 24. 10. I haue sinned greatly in that I haue done Daniel said t Dan. 9 4. 4. I praied vnto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord we haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly c. Chrysostome taught the same doctrine u De● s●luendis pe●catum Chrys de pae●it Hom. 9. Tell thy sinne onely vnto God Againe he saith * S●lu●te Deus confi●ent●m vid●a● Chrys de pae●it conf●s Let God onely see the confessing of thy sinnes After this manner we are to make Confession of our sinnes In the fourth place I come to the motiues which may perswade vs to confesse our sinnes vnto God Which I take 4 Motiues to cōfesse our sinnes vnto God First from the necessity Secondly from the benefite thereof For the first Confession of Sinne vnto God is necessary 1 〈◊〉 necess●ry For for First God is chiefly and principally offended by our sinnes wherefore it is that Dauid hauing committed 1 God is principally off●nded by our sinnes adultery and thereby hauing not onely offended God but wronged man comming to make confession saith y Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned Now because sinne is chiefly and principally committed against God therefore it 's necessary that wee make our confession chiefly and principally vnto God Secondly without confession of sinne we can looke 2 Without Confession we can haue no remission for no remission of sinne Salomon saith z Pro. 28. 13. He that couereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy Giuing vs to vnderstand that he onely obtaineth mercie of the Lord that confesseth his sinnes but if any one will not confesse but hide and couer his sinnes he shall not prosper it shall not be well with him the Lord will shew him no fauour nor mercie